Intense nourishment
ANYONE who has ever scanned a cosmetics shelf will be familiar with the term “jojoba oil”. It can be found in everything from shampoos to face creams. But what is it?
First things first: It’s not really an oil at all. In fact, it’s a kind of wax that happens to be liquid at room temperature.
It comes from the seeds of the jojoba plant, an evergreen shrub native to the deserts and semideserts of North and Central America.
Since jojoba oil is similar to the skin’s own natural waxes, it mixes well with them, making it useful in cosmetics. Its functions include making the skin more elastic and protecting against loss of moisture.
It also contains vitamins A and E, which have an antioxidant effect. And due to its wealth of fatty acids, jojoba oil is nourishing and smoothing.
As a result, you’ll often find the ingredient in products designed to combat ageing or dry skin, in which moisturising properties are key.
As an added bonus, jojoba oil products – despite their many rich ingredients – don’t make the skin greasy. Instead, they absorb quickly. And in hair products, they offer intense nourishment and make hair easier to brush or comb.
You’ll sometimes see jojoba oil on the ingredients list as “Simmondsia chinensis seed oil.” – dpa